Case report

Thickening of the pulmonary artery wall in acute intramural hematoma of the ascending aorta

Martín Munín , María S Goerner , Martín Lombardero , Gustavo Sanchez , Juan C Pereira Redondo , Fernando Spernanzoni , Héctor Lardani and Víctor Torres

Department of Echocardiography, CEMIC, Hospital Universitario Saavedra, Av. E. Galván 4102 Capital Federal Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina

author email corresponding author email

Cardiovascular Ultrasound 2007, 5:1doi:10.1186/1476-7120-5-1

Published:	3 January 2007

Abstract

Background

The occurrence of pulmonary artery obstruction in the course of acute aortic dissection is an unusual complication. The mechanism implicated is the rupture of the outer layer of the aorta and the subsequent hemorrhage into the adventitia of the pulmonary artery that causes its wall thickening and, at times, produces extrinsic obstruction of the vessel. There are no reports of this complication in acute intramural hematoma.

Case presentation

An 87-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital in shock after having had severe chest pain followed by syncope. An urgent transesophageal echocardiogram revealed the presence of acute intramural hematoma, no evidence of aortic dissection, severe pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade, and periaortic hematoma that involved the pulmonary artery generating circumferential wall thickening of its trunk and right branch with no evidence of flow obstruction. Urgent surgery was performed but the patient died in the operating room. The post mortem examination, in the operating room, confirmed that there was an extensive hematoma around the aorta and beneath the adventitial layer of the pulmonary artery, with no evidence of flow obstruction.

Conclusion

This is the first time that this rare complication is reported in the scenario of acute intramural hematoma and with the transesophageal echocardiogram as the diagnostic tool.